Super Mario Sunshine(スーパーマリオサンシャイン,Sūpā Mario Sanshain?) is a 2002 video game made by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube. It was the first platform game starring Mario that was not a launch title – it was not released when the Nintendo console debuted. Instead, it was released about nine months after the GameCube had come out. The other release of the other three consoles (NES, SNES, and Nintendo 64) had been accompanied by a Mario game.

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In this game, Mario and his friends have landed in Delfino Isle for a vacation. However, the people on the island imprison Mario. Someone who looks like Mario has been making the island dirty. A judge tells Mario to clean up the island. He is given a device called FLUDD (Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device), which Mario straps on his back. FLUDD is a powerful water device that can clean up the mess that the fake Mario has caused.

Eventually, Mario learns that Bowser Jr., the son of Bowser, was the one who was dirtying the island. Bowser Jr. thinks that Princess Peach is his mother and kidnaps her. Mario must rescue her.

Like Super Mario 64, there are many worlds and each world has several goals to meet. Instead of stars, Mario captures Shine Sprites that will help restore the island. Each world has a boss to defeat. As Mario clears each world, he unlocks others.

Mario must clean up acres and acres of sludge and flith that is on the island. FLUDD allows him to do this. FLUDD only has a small quantity of water and Mario must jump into a pool of water after the water runs out. FLUDD also has several other things it can do. If Mario aims the nozzles down, Mario can float for a few seconds until the water runs out. There are also areas where Mario takes FLUDD off and jumps around himself without assistance. The first time he goes he has to go through the area with no assistance. The second time he goes, he has to collect eight red coins in a time limit.

FLUDD always has two nozzles. FLUDD has three nozzles:

The Squirt Nozzle (the default nozzle) and the Hover Nozzle, the Rocket Nozzle, and the Turbo Nozzle.

Work on the game began with the idea of gameplay involving a water pump.[4] However, at first the developers thought that the world was too daringly out of character with Mario. Therefore, they tried using a man-type character, but thought this was too odd and that "if there was a man next to Mario, there is a sense of incongruity."[4] There were ten candidates for possible water nozzles, and FLUDD was chosen because of fitting in the game's setting, despite it not being one of the favorites. Some preliminary gun-like water nozzles were removed due to all the controversy in the United States.[4] They also stated that several Yoshi features were omitted, such as Yoshi vomiting juice fed to him.[4]

Koji Kondo and Shinobu Tanaka composed the musical score to Super Mario Sunshine.[5] The soundtrack features various arrangements of classic Mario tunes, including the underground music and the main stage music from the original Super Mario Bros.[6]Super Mario Sunshine featured many of the usual voice actors for the various Nintendo characters. This is the only Mario game which features full English voice acting in cut-scenes. The voice cast consisted of Charles Martinet as Mario and Toadsworth, Jen Taylor as Princess Peach and Toad, Scott Burns as Bowser, and Dolores Rogers as Bowser Jr.[7] Other voice actors included Kit Harris.[8]

Super Mario Sunshine did well at the shops, having sold 5.5 million copies as of June 2006.[20] In 2002, Super Mario Sunshine was the tenth best-selling game in the United States, according to the NPD Group.[21] It was released again in 2003 as part of the Player's Choice line, a selection of games with high sales sold for a reduced price.[22]

Super Mario Sunshine received positive reviews by game reviewers. IGN praised the addition of the water backpack for improving the gameplay,[16] and GameSpy commented on the "wide variety of moves and the beautifully [made] environments".[15] The game received a perfect score from Nintendo Power, who commended the "superb graphics, excellent music, clever layouts, funny cinema scenes and [clever] puzzles".[17]GamePro also gave Super Mario Sunshine a perfect score, stating that the game was "a masterpiece of superior game design, infinite gameplay variety, creativity, and life."[23]Game Informer said that the game is arguably "the best Mario game to date."[13]ComputerAndVideoGames.com also mentioned the game is "better than Super Mario 64."[10] The game placed 46th in Official Nintendo Magazine's 100 greatest Nintendo games of all time.[24]

Despite it's positive reviews, some reviewers criticized the game. GameSpot criticized the various additions, including the water backpack and Yoshi, calling them "mere gimmicks." They also criticized the virtual camera system, and noted that the game seemed somewhat unpolished and rushed.[14] They also criticized the voices, stating that "Super Mario Sunshine's FMV also houses some of the lousiest voice-over work to be found on the GameCube. None of the voices fit particularly well. Princess Peach sounds too ditzy, Mario is limited to grunts and other nonverbal communications, and the game's bad guys are completely miscast and downright disappointing."[14] Matt Wales accused the game of having a "distinct lack of polish."[25]

This game was the first Mario platformer game to be released for the Nintendo GameCube. It was also the first 3D Mario platformer which included the ability to ride Yoshi and to have him change colors.[32] This feature reappeared in the Wii 3D platformer Super Mario Galaxy 2.[33]